Selfish Individualism and Prosocial Cooperation: Treating Verbal Aggressiveness as a Bi-dimensional Construct

• In Event: Advances in the Conceptualization and Measurement of Cognitive Processes in Communication

Abstract

The research builds on earlier work that combines Belief Systems Theory with Developmental-Interactionist Theory (Levine, Beatty, Limon, Hamilton, Buck, & Chory-Assad, 2004) to distinguish between verbal aggressiveness and verbal cooperativeness. The data from four studies were correlated and causal models constructed to test the predictions of the combined theories. The causal models showed evidence of a selfish negative affect system that begins with egocentrism and a parallel prosocial positive affect system that begins with empathy.

Authors

• Mark A. Hamilton, Univ of Connecticut, Storrs

• Ross W. Buck, Univ of Connecticut, Storrs

• Rebecca M. Chory-Assad, West Virginia University

• Timothy R. Levine, Michigan State Univ

• Michael J. Beatty, Univ of Missouri, St. Louis

• Matthew Sean Limon, Illinois State University